An Essay From My 13 Year Old Self

This blog hop is hosted by Amy Sonnichsen and Christa Desir.  I decided to do this because, as a teenager, I was a prolific writer.  Much of my writing was overly dramatic and seriously lacked in subtlety.  Then again, what else could you expect of an apprehensive young teenager.

I chose this piece to share because it's characteristic of the things I wrote at age 13. This short essay was actually published in a small magazine, but looking at it now, I can't help but notice its saccharine nature.  I still feel the same way about many things, though I also have a healthy dose of cynicism these days.  I also try to write more elegantly than this now.  Whether I succeed is another matter.

Universe

Sometimes I let my mind wander to distant worlds and new destinies. On my travels over the years, I have learned much about myself that I never knew before.  At times, I feel more comfortable in my fantasy world than I do in the real world, because in my mind, everything in the universe has its place.  No one is alone and no one has doubts about who they are.  They are just fine being themselves and everyone accepts and appreciates their individuality.  No one is cruel or unkind to anyone, no matter how different someone may be. 

This is as the universe should be.  Peace, freedom, and happiness should fill everyone's hearts.  What do you think of when you hear the word "universe"?  Loneliness?  Emptiness?  Cold darkness?  That's what many people seem to think of, but not I.    I think of something else altogether.  I think of unity. 

Now you may ask how the universe could possibly be united when everything is so far apart.  Let's begin by looking at the word itself. "Uni" means one and "verse" can mean a poem or a song.  One song. Doesn't that suggest unity to you?  The word itself suggests that we need to be kinder to one another because we all depend on each other. Like the individual lines of a song, each part of the universe is irreversibly linked to everything else.  If someone or something is destroyed, everyone is permanently affected.  It changes the message of the song completely.  All from the one missing line of the song, the meanings of the other lines are changed, altered forever.  Nothing will ever be the same again, and people like you and me scarcely realize it. 

So you see, everyone and everything is vital to the harmony of the song of life.  When people fight and are full of hate, the beauty and magnificence of the song is lost.  It's crowded out by the muddy, ugly noise of disharmony.  The only way to achieve harmony is to be peaceful and to fill your heart with love.  It's not guns or knives that kill people.  People kill people.  People who are full of hate and care nothing for the value of human life are the ones who destroy the pulchritude and fairness of our home.  Be kind and don't harm others, for we all share a common destiny that is composed of all the destinies of the universe's inhabitants.  These beings are all your neighbors and we should all attempt to be friends.  And even if you meet someone you cannot get along with, why be enemies?  Be tolerant of others and they may be tolerant of you too.  We all need each other. 

So why not try to be pleasant to someone that you are in conflict with? After all, what harm can it do?  Smile at a stranger, and reach out to someone that you don't normally talk to.  Who knows?  You may make a new friend.

What do you think of when you hear the word "universe"?  Please think unity . . .

This is unedited.  It is exactly as it was when I finished it at age 13.  I'm 26 now.  That means I wrote this half a lifetime ago.  At the time, I thought this was brilliant.  My writing skills have obviously changed, and that's probably for the best.

Anyway, if you read all the way to the end, thank you.